Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Photo by Katie Guymon

Last Friday, Catherine came over for happy hour, and I served roasted shrimp cocktail. We both easily became believers in this twist on a pretty standard appetizer. The shrimp is incredibly easy to prepare (especially if you gather a weird satisfaction during the peeling and deveining process, like I do), but it looks elegant and tastes more special than the norm. Serve these shrimp with your favorite prepared cocktail sauce and a spritz of fresh lemon juice, and there you go.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail [adapted from Barefoot Contessa; serving size: 4]
-1 pound of 16-20 count shrimp
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, then rinse clean with cold water.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the shrimp in a single layer on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 6-8 minutes, just until pink, firm, and cooked through. Set aside to cool, or serve warm.

Spicy Citrus Mozzarella Bites

Photo by Katie Guymon

Last week, I tried out my first two recipes from my new cookbook purchase, Claire Robinson's 5 Ingredient Fix. My girlfriends got together for - what else? wine - and so, I made a couple of cocktail-y type snacks. Both were easy, both were tasty.

Up first...

Spicy Citrus Mozzarella Bites
These, to me, are better the longer they marinate. They definitely have a unique flavor!

-8 ounces of fresh cherry-size (ciliegine) mozzarella balls, drained
-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-zest of one 1 lemon
-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
-sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve immediately or chill in refrigerator until ready to eat.